January 28, 2012 6:22pm ESTJanuary 28, 2012 2:13pm ESTSidney Crosby is back in Pittsburgh after visiting specialists in Atlanta and Los Angeles. GM Ray Shero is optimistic that his captain will return to the lineup, but Crosby will not play until his concussion-like symptoms are resolved.

Sean Gentille

Published on Jan. 28, 2012

Jan. 28, 2012

Sidney Crosby is back in Pittsburgh after visiting specialists in Atlanta and Los Angeles, GM Ray Shero told reporters at the NHL All-Star Game in Ottawa, and while Shero is optimistic that his captain will return to the lineup, Crosby will not play until his concussion-like symptoms are resolved.

“Hopefully we’ll see next week as to where he is and we’ll get the reports from California and compare notes to what’s been done so far,” Shero said following Saturday’s Board of Governors meeting, according to ESPN.com's Craig Custance. “We want to continue to look to see how we can get this under control and manageable so he can return to play.”

Crosby, Shero said, will continue skating and working out, as he'd done on his visits to chiropractic neurologist Dr. Ted Carrick in Atlanta and neurological spine surgeon Dr. Robert S. Bray in Southern California.

He'll also visit with his local concussion team, according to the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, which includes specialists Dr. Michael Collins, Dr. Joseph Maroon and Penguins team physician Dr. Charles Burke, who is the only member of the team who could medically clear Crosby, though there remains no timetable on that process.

"Hopefully (we'll) have him back at some point here soon,” Shero said. “Let’s just see what happens this week once we get some more information from his trip to California. I’m optimistic he’s going to play.”

Crosby has been out of since Dec. 5 following a recurrence of symptoms that sidelined him for more than 10 months last year. He worked on his motion and with Carrick, who treated him last summer.

Bray, who has worked with the U.S. Olympic Team and Los Angeles Kings, specializes in "minimally invasive" outpatient spinal procedures and founded the D.I.S.C. Sports Center, which is headquartered in Southern California.